The Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg met for the first time on October 11, 1988. This initial meeting was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mooresville whose members saw a growing need for a club in the Cornelius / Huntersville area. Under the guidance of the Mooresville Club, North Mecklenburg was chartered on April 7, 1989 in to Rotary International’s district 767.

In its first year, the club consisted of 26 members, most of whom were local business men and Rotarians formerly with other clubs. The first elected board included:

Randy Ford, President
Bill Austin, President-Elect
Pat Baker, Secretary
Ken Hancock, Treasurer
Mark Sheffield, Sargent-at-Arms
Tim Brown, Service Chair
Paul Bumgarner, Service Chair
John Cherry, Service Chair
Steve Wilbur, Service Chair

During the first year, the club’s primary emphasis was to educate the membership on the purpose of Rotary. The history of the organization, the projects that Rotary International undertook around the world, and the role the Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg would play in their own community were all topics regularly discussed. The first community service project completed by the club was to raise $500 for a local child in need of hearing aids. Throughout that first year, other community projects were also completed, and the club began to gain recognition in the Lake Norman area.

Since that first year, the Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg has grown from 26 to over 100 members. The club has completed numerous service projects in the community and around the world, and has donated to Rotary International to provide service to humanity internationally.